Abstract
Online Information literacy is an increasingly important skill in today's information environment. At the same time, social connections and specifically social networking sites play a central role in fostering access to online information. The question how social connections can complement information literacy skills, specifically eHealth literacy stands in the center of this research.
eHealth literacy is defined as the ability to seek, find, understand, and appraise health information from electronic sources and apply knowledge gained to addressing or solving a health problem. Previous research has shown high reliance on both online and face-to-face interpersonal sources when sharing and receiving health information.
In this research, we examine these interpersonal sources and their interplay with respondents’ eHealth literacy and perceived health outcomes. Specifically, we look at how the relationship between eHealth literacy and health outcomes is moderated by (1) finding help while performing online activities, (2) finding others with similar health concerns online, and (3) the importance of finding others with similar health concerns for people from ethnic minorities, specifically Bedouin Arabs, and Palestinian citizens of Israel versus Israeli Jews. The relevancy of these findings for students, and for learning environments will be discussed.
Bio
Dr. Tsahi Hayat is the head of the marketing specialization at the Sammy Ofer School of Communication, Reichman University. His research focuses on complex socio-technical systems, networks of people, artifacts, data, and ideas. He is particularly interested in how new technologies such as tablets, smartphones and social media platforms may enable or hinder the transfer of different resources within social networks. Dr Hayat’s publications cover topics such as networked work, innovations, social support, and social network theory and methods.
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